penda diakité’s art explores poc plight in america

Penda Diakité is a child of Mali and Portland, Oregon, combining her West African and American roots to create mixed-media pieces that explore the contrasting influences of her background. Diakité works with spray paint, collage and acrylic, blending contemporary and classic mediums as a means of representing her blended heritage.

On November 3rd, the Los Angeles-based artist will be hosting a show funded by Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys’ Dean Collection (Diakité is a recipient of a grant from the collection), that will center the experience of the person of color and immigrant in present-day USA. Diakité’s work will be exploring the experience through her personal lense as a bi-cultural woman of color.